英語故事:咖啡與人生 (下)
I went to Grandmother's house many more times after that, and she Always kept her same routine. It was a welcome routine, one that I enjoyed every week. Grandmother didn't talk to me after that about the "coffee catastrophe" as I called it, but eventually, she did start to make more ridiculous claims concerning her favorite drink.
在那之後，我又多次去過奶奶家，而她依然以同樣的程序來迎接我。我很喜歡這套程序，每個星期都要去享受一次。在那之後，奶奶再也沒有跟我談論過我所稱的“咖啡大災難”，不過最後，就她最喜愛的飲品，她還是開始發表了更加荒謬的言論。
"I knew your grandfather was the right man for me because we loved our coffee the same way," she said. "Cream with just a touch of sugar."
“我知道你爺爺就是那個最適合我的人，因爲我們都喜歡相同味道的咖啡，”她說，“奶油里加上一丁點糖。”
I rolled my eyes. "Grandmother, many people like it that way."
我轉了轉眼珠，說：“奶奶，很多人都喜歡那種口味。”
"I disagree," she said. "For most people, if they prefer cream, they like a lot of sugar, or at least a moderate amount. Those who drink it with just a touch of sugar usually put milk in it, or drink it black."
“我不同意，”她說，“對於大多數人來說，如果他們喜歡奶油，他們就喜歡加很多糖，或至少是中等量的糖。而那些喝咖啡時只加一丁點糖的人，通常會加入牛奶，或者乾脆就喝黑咖啡。”
"So what if Papa preferred his coffee black? Or with milk and sweetener? Does that mean that you would have never married? That I wouldn't be here today?"
“那麼，如果爺爺更喜歡喝黑咖啡呢？或者是牛奶加甜味料呢？那是不是說你就不嫁給他了？那麼今天就沒有我在這裏了？”
"Oh don't be silly," Grandmother said. "I won't think about your grandfather preferring his coffee any differently. I don't know what would have become of us. But you, my dear Alexa, belong to me. You would be here no matter what."
“噢，別傻了，”奶奶說，“我從來沒想過你爺爺會喜歡什麼不一樣的咖啡。我不知道我們之間會有什麼不同的結果，但是你，我親愛的阿麗夏，是屬於我的。無論怎麼樣你都會在這裏的。”
The last time I saw Grandmother was a Sunday just like all the others. I sat down at the table with Grandmother and she looked at me with a very intense look in her eyes.
我最後一次見到奶奶也是在一個星期天，和其他星期天沒什麼區別。我和奶奶一起坐在桌邊，她看着我，眼中閃爍着一種熱情的光芒。
"Do you ever think about heaven?" she asked me.
“你有沒有想過天堂是個什麼樣子的？”她問我。
I stared at Grandmother and stopped chewing for a moment.
我凝視着奶奶，暫時停止了咀嚼。
"Well, do you?" she asked again.
“嗯，你想過了麼？”她又問了一遍。
"Umm, not really," I said, growing increasingly uncomfortable with this line of conversation.
“唔……沒怎麼想過，”我說，對於這種類型的對話感到越來越不舒服。
"Well, I've been thinking about it lately," Grandmother said. "I mean, I am getting to that age where I realize that I don't have much more time here on earth. And I've just been thinking lately about heaven—and what's there and what's not. And I just hope that when it's my time to leave this world, the next one has everything that I love here."
“嗯，我最近一直在想這個問題，”奶奶說，“我的意思是，我也快到那個年紀了，所以我意識到我在這個世上的時間已經不多了。最近我一直在思考天堂是個什麼樣子的——那裏有什麼，沒有什麼。而我只希望當我離開這個世界的時候，另一個世界裏也有我在這邊所深愛的一切。”
“And what's that, Grandmother?”
“那是些什麼，奶奶？”
“Good food, good people, and good coffee.”
“好吃的食物，好相處的人，還有上好的咖啡。”
I smiled at Grandmother's simplicity and love for the good things in life. And I hoped that she would find exactly what she would be looking for in the next world.
我對奶奶的純樸，以及對生命中美好事物的熱愛報以微笑，也希望她真能在另一個世界找到她所想要的一切。
Grandmother passed away later that week. They found her sitting in her favorite rocker in the living room, half a cup of freshly brewed coffee by her side. And somehow, I knew that it was a sign that everything would be all right for Grandmother.
奶奶在那週末去世了。他們發現她坐在客廳裏她最喜歡的搖椅上，身旁還有半杯新煮的咖啡。不知道爲什麼，我明白這是一個徵兆，表明了奶奶會一切都好。
Now, years later, I'm frequently reminded of my Grandmother. The scent of freshly baked banana bread, or the way someone will kiss me on my cheek will bring a quick flashback of her. But my memories are always most vivid when I step foot into a coffee shop, the aroma of freshly roasted beans and brewed coffee livening my senses.
現在，多年過去了，我不時還會想起奶奶。新出爐的香蕉麪包的香氣，或某人親吻我臉頰的方式，都會讓我腦海中突然閃現出她的身影。不過每當我邁進一間咖啡館時，我的記憶總是特別鮮明，那新烤的咖啡豆和新煮咖啡的香氣總能讓我的感覺活躍起來。
“What would you like?” the person at the counter asks me.
“您想要點什麼？”櫃檯上的人問我。
“A medium hazelnut,” I say. “Cream with just a touch of sugar.”
“一杯中杯的榛子咖啡，”我說，“加奶油和一丁點糖。”
